Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget cuts could mean the closing of up to 220 state parks, among them the home of the world's tallest tree and other attractions that draw millions of visitors. Schwarzenegger this week recommended eliminating $70 million in parks spending through June 30, 2010. An additional $143.4 million would be saved in the following fiscal year by keeping the parks closed.

What's puzzling about the decision is the relatively small savings this would provide--California's the 6th largest economy in the world, remember. A couple hundred million seems like an awful small amount when considering the gain: state parks draw tourism revenue every year, and are a beloved institution to many Californians. It seems like the political loss alone--the move is sure to be deeply unpopular--wouldn't be worth the minor gains to the budget.

Nonetheless, if the budget passes as is, Californians may be bidding adieu to the vast majority of their state parks:

The state parks department said a $70 million cut would leave it with enough money to run just 59 of California's 279 state parks.

Schwarzenegger's administration has said that cutting park funding a "worst case scenario", and there's still a chance alternative cuts could be made. Let's hope so--closing 220 state parks would be bad news on many, many levels.